Ore concentrator



March 16, I943. P. H. BEHRENS 2 ORE CONCENTRATOR Filed Dec. :19, 1941' 3 Sheets-Sheet l SIMS ORE CONCENTRATOR I k Filed Dec. 19, 1941 a Sheets-Sheet 2 M MM! March 16, 19439 BEHRENS 2,314,192

ORE CONCENTRATOR Filed Dec, 19, 194i 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Mar. re. iQt

ORE CONCENTRATOR Phillip H. Bchrens, Kearney, one-third to C. A. Wilcox,

Nebr., assignor of and one-third to Gilbert Phillips, both of Kearney, Nebr. Application December 19, 1941, Serial No. 423,666

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an ore concentrator especially adapted for separating heavy material from light material and collectively retaining the heavy material therein and discharging the light material therefrom without the use of separating'liquids, grading elements or units or the use of centrifugal force.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a device. of the above stated character, wherein heavy material will be concentrated and separated from light material by centripetal force developed by said device and which force acts to form the material mass into a vortex, the heavy material being moved toward 'the center of the vortex while the light material is moved outwardly of the vortex by the inward movement of the heavy material and thereby bring about the retention of the heavy material I in the device and the discharge of the light mamembers 8 terminate short of the rear members 'I and as the hopper supporting members [0 are carried by the front and rear members 8 and I said members [0 are disposed.at an inclination for supporting a hopper l2 in the form of an elongated pan provided with upstanding solid walls and a solid bottom wall provided with a discharge opening [4 adjacent the lowermost end of the pan. Said lowermost end of the pan may be shaped as shown in Figure 2 to present converging upstanding wall portions leading to the discharge opening M so as to readilydirect materials placed in the hopper through the discharge opening by gravitation.

Connected to the hopper and underlying the discharge opening is a discharge pipe l5 for directing the materials into a bowl I6.

Hinged to the upper end of the hopper and overlying the latter isa grating I'I through which materials may be graded and enter the hopper whileundesirable materials may slide therefrom.

' If desired, the grating I! may be swung upwardillustrating an ore concentrator constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation illustrating the device.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view illustrating one of the supporting rollers for the bowl of the device and its mounting.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 indicates a supporting structure including a horizontal portion 6 adapted to rest upon the ground or other supporting surface and to which are secured vertically arranged spaced rear ly, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, to give access to the interior of the hopper.

. Opposed journals iii are mounted on the braces 9 of the supporting structure between the front and rear members 8' and l and rotatably support a'shaft 19 provided with an offset 20 directed downwardly withrespect to the plane of the shaft. ,A housing 2! forms a part of the shaft and rotatably supports a driven shaft 22 on which is'secured' a worm 23 and a belt pulley 24, the latter operating within the offset 20 or the latter giving clearance for the operation of the pulley and an endless belt 25 trained thereover. The belt 25 is trained over a pulley 26 of apower medium 21 mounted on the horizontal portion 6 of the supporting structure.

The housing 2| also rotatably supportsa shaft 28 forming an integral part of an attaching plate 29 bolted to the bowl l6, as shown at 30. A worm gear 3| operating within the housing2l, is secured to the shaft 28 and meshes with the worm 23.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description and the showing madein the drawings how the bowl is rotated by the power source 21.

Arms 32 are secured to the shaft 19 and extend in the direction of the front members 8 and are connected by a. yoke 33 preferably of channel iron construction, as shown in Figure 5. The yoke 33 includes a connecting portion 34 and diverging portions 35 which join the arms 32. The portions 34 and 35 have adjustably mounted thereon rollers 36 for rotatably supporting the 

